I deleted my very unknown Instagram yesterday.
I had to leave because of the amount of time I was wasting on it. I used it as a way to pacify my mind.
It seems cliché to say “social media is like empty calories” but the statement isn’t wrong. Being connected with people in a passive, pull-based system is an attractive software to have. I would love to know what my past friends and distant relatives are up to. But at what cost?
These types of software are fueled by your data, sold to people who want your eyeballs for their products. That’s why we can interact with enterprise-level software “for free”.
I would go on the platform with the attempt to be updated on what my friends or family was up to, and then get sucked in for hours at a time. The application is designed to have you be exposed to as much content and ads as possible; and they are damn good at it.
What irks me is that they market being connected “with the friends and followers you care about” when access to celebrity news and global politics is also available. Which is it?
Perhaps I didn’t use the platform properly. I would have enjoyed using the platform to actually stay connected with people I love. Though being 1 clicks away from adverts and distant news, my human brain went to that sweet, sugary content once I got through the updates.
How could we improve this tracking, psychologically manipulating, commerce-driven platform? I’m not quite sure; but here I talk about it. Perhaps provide some options to people who don’t want social media addictions.
Leave a Reply